Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-27
GOT THE suck FEVER"
An Amateur Hunters First Shot at
Deer-Too Slow on Trigger,

An Amateur Hunters First Shot at q
Deer-Too Slow on Trigger.
Did Won ever hear Frank Levan tell his ex-
perience with that deer up the country when
he was determined not to get the "buck
fever" Well, Frank went up in the noun
tains with a crowd of old and new hunters.
All preparations having been made, the deer
slayei-s went out to look for fresh venison.
They succeeded i'll wounding a deer that af-
ternoon and killing two more, the old hunters
doing the work Darkness coming on, the
hunters concluded TO wait until next morning
to search for the wounded deer. Accordingly
next morning they started on the track of
the deer and followed it long way until
they struck a small stream between two high
hills Here the captain divided the party
into squads of two and three and gave them
directions as to how they should proceed in
order to come up with the deer.
As it happened Levan was one of the men
placed on the left of the stream and was or
deIed to be extremely careful to avoid all
noise and excitement and above all not to get
the "buck fever" Frank proceeded to carry
out his instructions and walked along the
stream with the pace of a snail and the tread
of fox Having gone as far as he consld
cred it bis duty to go and seeing no signs of
deer or other animal he stopped beside large
fallen tree to survey the landscape Ger
Stepping On to the log he was engaged in
careful scrutiny of the surrounding hills
when he was impelle1 by some inward feeling
to turn his ewes Behind him From that mo
inent he was trans iormed from an ordinary,
discouraged hunter into Il hero, for he beheld
not thirty feet from him, live deer that stood
looking at him aud tapping its large ears as
if 1t wished to discover 10y sight and sound
the nature Of the object before it.
Never having had such an experience be
fore Levan began to think that he was going
to have some fun and the honor of killing his
first deer. He was armed with a rifle of
about five pounds pull, but he had never shot
one of those guns off. Deliberately and qui-
city he drew the rife to his shoulder and took
aim at the deers head, saying frequently to
himself, you're my meat" Having aimed
several times at the deer's head he concluded
| that lie would not run the risk Of missing it
| and have the boys laugh at him, SO he low
| cred the gun until the sights were aimed for
| the heart of the deer, and he continued to
| point the gun at the deer and remark:
You're my meat for minute or more,
| being under the impression that the animal
was good to stand in that position for day
or two At last having made up his mind to
| pull the trigger, Frank steadled his nerves
and mentally congratulated himself upon not
| getting the buck fever.
Then, lie says, he pulled that trigger back
at least three inches, and just as he began to
fear that the trigger was made of elastic and
would never stop going backward the deer
| gave a bound like football struck by a 200
| pound man and landed half way up the side
| of the mountain. At the same time Levan's
| arms went up and the rifle was discharged i'll
| the air, the bullet passing over the mountain
into the next township When the other
hunters came to help cut the deer up Frank
| told them that he hadn't hit it, as he only had
a snap shot and had no chance of killing it
| Wiliansport sun and Banner.